The marinade infuses the chicken with its flavors and keeps it soft during cooking. Marinades are prepared with oil, vinegar, another acid component and spices to taste. This article will teach you how to marinate chicken using traditional methods.
Ingrediants
Mustard marinade
- 120 ml of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 240 ml of extra virgin olive oil
Italian marinade
- 60 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 tablespoon of Mediterranean spice blend
- 450g chicken (breast, thighs, wings, or parts to taste)
Chinese marinade
- 120 ml of soy sauce
- 50 g of cane sugar or molasses
- 3 tablespoons of peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 450g chicken (breast, thighs, wings, or parts to taste)
Spiced Marinade with Chipotle
- 45 g pickled chipotle peppers
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 450g chicken (breast, thighs, wings, or parts to taste)
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prepare the Marinade
Step 1. Finely chop the garlic and other fresh ingredients
To allow the chicken skin to absorb the flavors of fresh ingredients, such as garlic, onion, pepper and ginger, it is important to chop them as finely as possible. This way they will spread over the entire surface of the chicken rather than just one area.
Step 2. Blend the ingredients carefully
Pour all the marinade ingredients into a bowl and mix well to combine. The oil will need to be incorporated from the other ingredients, rather than separate.
- To make sure you create a well-blended mixture, you can pour the ingredients into a blender and turn it on for a few seconds.
- Some cooks like to put the marinade ingredients in a glass jar and then shake it.
Step 3. Don't worry if you don't have the exact ingredients available
The beauty of a marinade is that many ingredients can be replaced with others as desired. If you are missing any of the ingredients listed, look in the pantry for a good substitute. Consider the following possibilities:
- Replace lemon juice with vinegar, or vice versa.
- Replace extra virgin olive oil with any other quality oil, or vice versa.
- Replace honey or maple syrup for sugar, or vice versa.
Method 2 of 3: Marinating the Chicken
Step 1. Choose which part of the chicken to marinate
The same marinade can be used effectively to flavor brisket, thighs, wings, etc. Choose to marinate the chicken whole or cut it into pieces. You can also choose to marinate the chicken with or without bones.
Step 2. Wash the chicken and pat it dry with kitchen paper
This will remove any residue from the package and prepare the meat to absorb the marinade.
Step 3. Place the raw chicken and marinade in a food container
Identify one that can contain all the chicken and where the liquid can cover it in all its parts. Cover the container with the lid after filling it.
- Then use a sealable food bag if you don't have a glass or plastic container available.
- Do not use a metal container; the chemicals present in the metal, in contact with the marinade, can react and modify its flavor.
Step 4. Chill the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours
During this time, the flavors of the marinade will become one with the chicken. You can marinate the chicken for the indicated 4 hours or overnight if you want to get the most out of its flavors.
Method 3 of 3: Cook the Marinated Chicken
Step 1. Bake the chicken in the oven
The roasted marinated chicken is truly a delight. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C, place the chicken on a baking sheet, cover it with aluminum foil, and cook until the core temperature of the meat reaches 71 ° C.
- The amount of time it takes to cook varies based on the amount of chicken available to you. Normally it will take about 40 minutes for every 450g of chicken pieces.
- Before cooking, pour any leftover marinade over the chicken, it will give the meat extra flavor.
- When almost cooked, remove the aluminum foil and continue cooking for a few minutes, in order to make the surface of the chicken crisp.
Step 2. Grill the chicken.
Grilled marinated chicken is a real treat, but it requires subtle adjustments. Heat the grill, then place the chicken pieces to cook over indirect heat, otherwise you could risk overcooking them.
Step 3. Brown the chicken in the pan
Heat the oil in a large skillet. As soon as the pan is hot, place the chicken pieces in the oil and cover them with a lid. Simmer the chicken for about half an hour; when the internal temperature of the meat has reached 71 ° C you can enjoy it with whoever you want.
